


the endless search for everything in between

by anakhronism



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Sexual Tension, Smoking, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27873002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anakhronism/pseuds/anakhronism
Summary: Soobin meets Jeongguk amidst cigarette smoke.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Jeon Jungkook
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	the endless search for everything in between

**Author's Note:**

> for [eternal txt fest](https://twitter.com/eternal_txtfest?s=09) on twitter!! massive thank you to [bub](https://twitter.com/minihegemoni?s=09) for organizing, they're super super sweet and encouraging <3
> 
> jk is 21 and soobin is 19 here. usual disclaimer, this is purely fiction. if you're worried about the implied sexual content, you can skip over the last paragraph!!

The man behind the counter refuses to give Soobin his cigarettes.

Soobin pinches his eyebrows, trying to reason with the man. It’s not his fault that he looks younger than he is. Soobin drums his fingers on the counter, giving the man a death stare but he doesn’t budge, maintaining Soobin's look with a ticked jaw. When it’s apparent that Soobin is going nowhere with this, he backs off and leaves the store, making sure to flip the man off before.

Well, Soobin can’t go back here anymore, which is a pity. There isn’t another convenience store near his place and Soobin needs his cigarettes. Soobin sighs in defeat, sitting down on the bare sidewalk with his hands clasped in front of him. There isn’t a soul in sight. Soobin picks at the rip in his jeans, wondering how he’s going to tell Yeonjun about being banned from the store.

_That’s going to be a fun conversation _, Soobin thinks, sighing lowly. Just as Soobin is about to get and leave, a packet of red Marlboros falls into his lap from the sky. An angel, perhaps, a savior-incarnate. Soobin looks up and he’s already made the biggest mistake of his life.__

____

____

His heart does a tumble in his chest, a ridiculous somersault like a gymnast. His throat closes up and Soobin’s eyes are wide, taking in the sheer beauty of his kind benefactor.

The man is in a tie-dye shirt, messy enough for Soobin to know he’s done it by himself, paint-stained jeans underneath with a plaid shirt. His hair is neatly swept to one side, silver earring dangling and the moonlight catches on it, making it glow. His lips are tinged a soft red, glossed over like he’s licked them and his eyebrows cock gently when he notices Soobin staring.

Soobin clears his throat. “Thanks for the… uh…”

“It’s no problem.” The man says. His voice is softer than his face, the kind an idol would have. One you listen to on rainy days, huddled under a blanket, for comfort. “Enjoy the cigs and don’t let that fellow see you. I don’t want to get banned.”

Soobin might be in a trance with how quickly he nods. “Will do.” Soobin realizes something, quickly asking the man to wait before he’s gone. The man turns on his heel as Soobin pulls out a few bills from his pocket. “For the… uh…”

“Keep it.” The man says, walking away as he waves. “I have a feeling we’ll see each other around.”

_Stupid, you’re so fucking stupid, Soobin _, his mind tells him. There’s no way that man is real. But, as Soobin reaches into his breast pocket, he feels the cigarettes, the hard-hitting reminder that the man wasn’t a figment of his imagination. Soobin could never imagine someone that beautiful.__

____

____

“Holy fuck, you look like you’re in love.” Yeonjun says, when Soobin gets back to the apartment, crossing his arms over his chest as lets Soobin in. Soobin takes a deep breath, the image of the man who stole his heart, flashing before his eyes.

“That's because I am.” Soobin says. “I’m madly, deeply in love and I will never fall in love with anyone ever again. He's it for me.”

Yeonjun shakes his head. “This doesn't sound like I want to have a conversation when I'm sober... or awake. Let me break out the wine and we'll talk about your new love interest.”

In the haze of his wine-drunk, the man becomes fuzzy and Soobin can't remember much of what he looks like, except the gloss of his red lips. Soobin's heart does a backflip, his stomach lurching. Yeonjun steals a cigarette from his pack and Soobin can't help but watch as Yeonjun lights it up, takes a drag. He wonders if the man smokes, why else would he have been at a convenience store so late at night?

It's fate, his mind teases and Soobin grumbles. Soobin doesn't know if he'll ever see the man again. Likely not. But, the press of the bills in his pocket is reassuring and Soobin decides have some faith. He's in love, after all, and that doesn't go away easily.

He hates his friends. Lying, conniving skanks, all of them. Soobin had been promised that they'll go to an arcade but Beomgyu gets hungry and starts craving chicken. It's dead in the middle of the night as they hunt down for a restaurant.

Soobin is exhausted, to say the least, but he can't leave. Beomgyu offers to pay for their drinks and Soobin can't miss that opportunity. They find a dingy hole-in-the-wall place. Soobin is nervous just looking at the exterior, the hideous orange of the building but he can't turn back now. It looks like the front of a money-laundering scheme. 

The place is empty, Soobin notices as they enter from the front door, which is already setting off red flags. The last thing he wants is to a party pooper, so he keeps his mouth shut. The bell on top of the kitchen door chimes as a waiter makes their way out. Soobin stares at the table in a trance as everyone says their orders, only to be gently shook by the man who asks, “And, for you, sir?”

Familiar. It's a soft, familiar voice. Soobin lifts his gaze from the white of the table, his eyes meeting with the man from the convenience store. The one Soobin is in love with. Soobin doesn't expect the man to recognize him, but his eyes widen slightly. Soobin is lucky that none of his friends are looking their way or they would've had some major questions.

The man is wearing that one dangly earring from day before yesterday, but he's in different clothes. Plain white shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a black apron around his waist. The orange lights cast the softest glow upon the man, highlighting a side of his face. He looks playfully innocent but his eyes are sharp, cat-like. Soobin's mouth is dry.

“I'll have the same as them.” Soobin says, and the man simply nods. He turns on his heel, heading back into the kitchen without another word of acknowledgement. Soobin doesn't know what else he was expecting, but the disappointment is there, weighing heavily upon his lungs. 

The man brings them their beers and two plates of fruit, his hair falling into his eyes and he brushes it away. Soobin is entranced but he looks away quickly, not wanting to seem like a creep.

Soobin chews on a piece of apple, his mind preoccupied that he doesn't even notice when Yeonjun taps his thigh. “Let's go.” Yeonjun says, pulling Soobin's cheek and Soobin winces, smacking his hand away.

“Who's paying?” Taehyun asks and everyone is suddenly interested in the fly on the wall. Soobin sighs.

“I got it, but you're covering it next time.”

Yeonjun kisses him on the cheek and Soobin is suddenly embarrassed, cheeks flaring red. He coughs before pushing Yeonjun away. “Thanks, Bin.” Yeonjun chirps. Soobin hums, knowing fully well they all would’ve forgotten this by tomorrow. But, he likes spoiling his friends, he doesn’t mind it too much.

There’s no one at the cash counter when Soobin gets there. The kitchen door is shut, which leaves the room looking darker than usual. Soobin sighs, picking at his nails, wondering who exactly is going to get his bills. The bell chimes.

“Sorry for the wait.” The man says, handing Soobin a receipt. As Soobin is going over the items and verifying things, the man asks, “Was that your boyfriend?”

Soobin freezes, looking up from the bill. “Who? Yeonjun? No way. He’s like my brother.”

“You always let your friends kiss you on the cheek?” The man asks, his tone slightly teasing.

“Don’t you?”

“No.”

“We’re just weirdly close.” Soobin says, pulling out his wallet. He doesn’t know why he's defending himself to a stranger. “It’s not that deep.”

“Hm.” The man replies. Soobin pays him quickly, aware of how fast his heart is beating. “Interesting.”

“Oh, wait.” Soobin says, clicking his tongue. He takes out the crumpled notes from yesterday, handing them to the man, who looks at him with a quirked eyebrow. “For the… uh…”

“Cigarettes. Why can’t you say it?”

Soobin chuckles lowly. “It’s a bad habit, you know.”

“But, it feels _so good. _” The man says, the smallest of smiles tugging at the ends of his mouth. “You have one on you now?”__

____

____

He has the whole pack, still, but Soobin doesn’t acknowledge that as he draws one out to hand it to the man. Soobin can feel his eyes on him, watching intently and it’s intimidating, for some reason. Soobin pulls out his trusty lighter, expecting the man to take it from him but he leans forward instead, curled eyelashes brushing the tips of his cheek.

The man’s gaze is sharp, full of honey as Soobin flicks the lighter open and lights one end of the cigarette.

The wisp of smoke shapes up, flitting up, up, up until it vanishes. The man takes a drag and Soobin can’t take his eyes away from the pink of his mouth, the smoke escaping from between them. Time passes by, slow and sluggish, and Soobin’s lungs might be full of sand.

“Jeongguk.” The man says, eyes never having left Soobin’s face. “And you?”

“Choi Soobin.” Soobin says, heart thumping beneath his ribcage.

“That’s good to know.”

“Really? Why?”

“Because I’d like to see you again.”

“ _Oh. _” Soobin forgets he’s supposed respond, gulping down on a dry throat. Through the veil of alcohol, Jeongguk’s face is hazy but he’s unforgettable. The sharp bridge of his nose, the smoke the flits up through the burning end of his cigarette stick, the way one of his hands subtly envelops Soobin’s. “That’s… we can do that.”__

____

____

Soobin has always wondered what it would be like to fall in love, the movie-kind that makes you want to jump out of your own skin and touch the stars. When Jeongguk hastily scribbles his number down on a chit with his blunt pencil and tucks it into Soobin’s pocket, patting it for good measure, Soobin can say with assurance, that it’s just as bright as it is in the movies.

Jeongguk texts him first, much to Soobin’s disbelief. But, he’s not one to question fate, especially not when it concerns pretty boys who Soobin wants to kiss and he texts him back. Even though Soobin doesn’t want to seem like an overeager, virginal puppy, he can’t avoid it.

They send messages frequently over the course of three months. Jeongguk sends him a lot of photos of his puppy and Soobin responds back with pictures of his bunny. Jeongguk allows Soobin to call him hyung with a blasphemous giggle Soobin hears in his dreams. _I like that kind of stuff, when someone calls me hyung _and Soobin has that information tucked away, in some corner of his mind that he refuses to acknowledge.__

____

____

It’s much quieter on school days or when Jeongguk has a shift. Soobin doesn’t want to press, still unsure of where he stands with Jeongguk, and Jeongguk lets the silence stew. Soobin doesn’t mind, Jeongguk is nice and he’s sweet and he’s hot as fuck. If the least Soobin has to do is wait for him to text back, he can do that. Soobin is a patient man.

He drops by during Jeongguk’s shifts, sometimes, if he isn’t studying or out with Yeonjun. Jeongguk smiles extra hard, kisses Soobin on the cheek and says thank you, in a way that makes Soobin’s heart skip a beat.

Soft. Jeongguk’s lips are soft. That’s the only thing Soobin is thinking about on a windy Thursday when Jeongguk drags him into an alleyway and kisses him square on the mouth. And, he’s _good, _he’s so _fucking good _and Soobin hasn’t fallen in love like this since middle school when his childhood friend, Areum held his hand on the playground.____

_____ _

_____ _

Soobin is only another kiss away from a heart attack, but he’ll go out like this gladly.

Jeongguk invites Soobin to a party.

Soobin has been to parties before, but this is one with Jeongguk’s hot college friends and Soobin couldn’t be more terrified if he tried. The last thing he wants is to seem like a loser in the eyes of Jeongguk’s friends.

Soobin’s hands are shaking when he walks in. He has a pack tucked away in his pocket for Jeongguk, his only semblance of comfort as he traverses through the crowd of sweaty bodies dancing. Soobin stumbles upon the bedroom upstairs and finds Jeongguk laying down on the bed, his eyes closed.

Jeongguk’s shirt has ridden up, giving Soobin a view of his flat abdomen and Soobin turns away, coughing. He doesn’t need to see that right now.

“Oh, hey. You came.” Jeongguk says, yawning as he sits up. He beckons Soobin over, patting the spot on the bed beside him. “You sounded nervous on the phone, so I wasn’t sure.”

Soobin hands Jeongguk the cigarettes, which Jeongguk takes with a grateful smile. He puts his head on Soobin’s shoulder, lacing their fingers together.

“I’ll go anywhere you go.” Soobin says, because he’s high on adrenaline and a little brave.

“You mean that?”

“Of course.”

“Dance with me.” Jeongguk says, tugging Soobin up and Soobin goes boneless. There’s music playing downstairs, the music bumping hard enough to make the ground shake beneath their feet but Jeongguk puts Soobin’s hand on his waist, their hands still adjoined and Soobin goes breathless, watching Jeongguk underneath the red lights.

He wants it etched into his memory, never wants to forget the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. He lets Jeongguk spin him around, the air smelling like smoke and heat. Soobin’s hand tightens on Jeongguk’s waist.

“I’m glad we met.” Jeongguk says, eyes crinkling when he smiles and Soobin’s heart skips a beat. “Been a while since I fell in love. I’ve missed the feeling.”

“Oh- “

Jeongguk doesn’t let Soobin finish his thought, drags him into a messy kiss. The red lights bounce off Jeongguk’s collarbones perfectly, the music dripping with energy but it’s nothing before Jeongguk and Soobin. Soobin calls Jeongguk _hyung _as sweetly as Jeongguk had asked and watches him fall apart. Love, for Soobin, is Jeon Jeongguk and that’s something that will never change.__


End file.
